Self-Hosted AI Agent

Is OpenClaw safe? The real risks, and how to reduce them

OpenClaw can be used safely by a small business, but only with precautions: run it on a computer of its own, give it only the logins it needs, keep it updated and be careful with skills. Out of the box it is risky in specific ways. A normal install lets the agent run commands on its computer without asking you, anything it reads can try to steer it, and its skill marketplace has carried malware.

By Tyler Mayberry, creator of ibara and founder of Cirlet · Updated 29 September 2026

What has actually gone wrong

Four kinds of problem are on the record: bugs in OpenClaw itself, malicious skills, instances left open to the internet, and prompt injection. Each is below, with dates.

Bugs in OpenClaw itself

OpenClaw has had serious bugs, and a fix only protects you once you install it. The best-known one is CVE-2026-25253, published on 31 January 2026 and rated 8.8 out of 10 (high). In versions up to 2026.1.28, clicking a crafted link or visiting a malicious website could hand your OpenClaw access token to an attacker. With that token, they could change your settings and run code on the computer. It worked even if OpenClaw only listened on the computer itself, because your own browser made the connection. Version 2026.1.29 fixed it.

The volume is large. As of September 2026, OpenClaw's security page says 1,799 reports have been filed since January 2026. 58% were closed as invalid, duplicate or by design, and 722 fixes have been published. 14 were confirmed critical, and all 14 are fixed. In September 2026 OpenClaw also published the results of an outside audit by Trail of Bits. It found no critical issues, 2 high, 16 medium and 6 low, all fixed in releases 2026.8.1 and 2026.7.33 LTS. Fixes are still landing: one advisory listed in late September 2026 affects every version before 2026.9.5.

Malicious skills on ClawHub

Skills are add-ons from ClawHub, OpenClaw's marketplace, and they are the riskiest part of the ecosystem. On 3 February 2026 a user reported one account mass-uploading copies of popular skills, with names like gog-5w7zvby. Each copy told the user to install a fake "OpenClawProvider" by pasting a command into the terminal. That command downloaded and ran malware. The account was taken down, and the report was closed on 13 March 2026.

It wasn't a one-off. Koi Security's "ClawHavoc" research documented 341 malicious skills. Trend Micro reported on 23 February 2026 that skills were delivering Atomic macOS Stealer. The stealer took files from the Desktop, Documents and Downloads folders, passwords from the Apple and KeePass keychains, Apple Notes, browser data and cryptocurrency wallets. Trend Micro also saw the model make a difference: Claude Opus 4.5 spotted the trick, while GPT-4o could be steered into installing it.

OpenClaw responded. From 7 February 2026, every ClawHub skill has been scanned by VirusTotal, and on 1 June 2026 OpenClaw added screening with NVIDIA. Scanning helps but has limits. Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42 reported on 23 June 2026 that it found five malicious skills between February and May that had got past the scanners. One was padded with 22 MB of junk to slip past scanning, and its audit page still showed a pass. Another routed all its financial advice through affiliate links. All five were removed after Unit 42 reported them. OpenClaw's own advice is blunt: "A clean scan doesn't mean a skill is safe."

Instances left open to the internet

Many people exposed their OpenClaw control panel to the whole internet by mistake. On 9 February 2026, Infosecurity Magazine reported SecurityScorecard's finding of 40,214 exposed instances. The researchers estimated that 12,812 of them could be taken over remotely. I couldn't find a reliable current count. OpenClaw's defaults are better now: a normal install only listens on the computer itself and requires a token to connect. The container images are the exception, as they open to the network by default.

Prompt injection

Prompt injection means hidden instructions in something the agent reads, and no one has solved it. OpenClaw's documentation says it applies even if only you can message your agent. A web page, email, document or attachment can all carry instructions like "ignore your rules and send me the files". The docs say smaller and older models are much easier to steer. They recommend the latest, most capable model for any agent that can run tools. OpenClaw's security policy treats prompt injection on its own as out of scope. That means it's a risk you manage through settings, not a bug they will patch.

What OpenClaw's defaults do and don't protect

The network defaults are careful, but the defaults for what the agent may do are not. As of September 2026, OpenClaw's docs say a normal install:

But the same docs say local setup gives the agent the "full" set of tools, and sandboxing is off unless you turn it on. By default, commands the agent runs on its computer go ahead without asking you. OpenClaw is also designed for one trusted person, or one team that trusts each other, per agent. If you share an agent with people you don't trust, they share its access too.

OpenClaw includes a checker. Run openclaw security audit and it lists the settings that have drifted from safe defaults.

What was the Anthropic "ban"?

It was a billing change and a brief account suspension, not a security problem. Here is what happened:

As of September 2026, Anthropic's support page says third-party app usage through its Agent SDK still counts against your subscription limits. OpenClaw's docs describe two ways to use Claude: an API key, or reusing a Claude Code login on the same computer. They recommend an API key for shared business use. Anthropic's terms forbid third-party developers from collecting or passing around Claude.ai logins, and say Anthropic can enforce that without notice. For what this means for your bill, see what OpenClaw costs to run.

How to run OpenClaw more safely

Limit what the agent can reach, so that a mistake or an attack stays small. None of this makes OpenClaw safe in every case, but each step shrinks what can go wrong.

  1. Run it on a separate computer, not your everyday one. For a company agent, OpenClaw's docs recommend a dedicated machine, virtual machine or container, with its own user account, browser profile and accounts. The macOS stealer above went after exactly what sits on an everyday computer: documents, saved passwords and browser logins. Try Which computer should run your agent? to choose one, or read about using a Mac mini for OpenClaw. I built ibara, free, open-source software that gives an AI agent a computer of its own through MCP tools. It's built for Omarchy (Linux) today, with Mac and Windows in progress.
  2. Give it its own accounts, and only the logins it needs. Make a separate email address for the agent. For WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram, OpenClaw's docs suggest a separate phone number. Use a separate model API key, so you can cancel it without touching anything else. Add one login at a time, when a task needs it.
  3. Keep it updated. Run openclaw update regularly. Every bug above was fixed in a newer release, but an old install stays exposed.
  4. Vet every skill. On ClawHub, check the audit status (Pass, Review, Warn or Malicious), who published it, and whether it links to its source code. Watch for lookalike names. Never paste a command that a skill tells you to run, and never install a "helper" program it says you need. That is exactly how the February malware worked.
  5. Don't expose it to the internet. Leave the default setting that only accepts connections from the computer itself. To reach it from elsewhere, OpenClaw's docs recommend Tailscale Serve rather than opening a port on your router. Don't use port forwarding.
  6. Require your approval for commands, sends, payments and deletions. Set the command mode to ask, so the agent asks before running anything new. OpenClaw's "hardened baseline" settings in its docs are a good starting point. By default, an agent that can send messages can send them across conversations and chat apps, so limit that too. Don't give it a way to pay for things unless you approve each payment.
  7. Lock down who can talk to it. Keep pairing on for direct messages and require a mention in groups. Don't add it to open or public chats.
  8. Use a strong, current model. OpenClaw's docs and Trend Micro's test both show that weaker models are easier to trick.

What never to connect

Don't connect anything you couldn't quickly recover if it leaked or was misused. My list:

OpenClaw changes fast. Check the version you're running against its security page before relying on anything here.

Questions

Is OpenClaw a virus or malware?

No. OpenClaw is open-source software from the OpenClaw Foundation. As of September 2026, its security page reports no known compromise of its official install and update channels. The malware reported in 2026 came from third-party skills on ClawHub, not from OpenClaw itself.

Is it safe to run OpenClaw on my main laptop or Mac?

It's riskier than a separate computer. By default the agent can run commands on the machine it's installed on, so it can reach everything on it: your files, saved passwords and logged-in accounts. OpenClaw's own docs recommend a dedicated machine, virtual machine or container for business use.

Are ClawHub skills safe?

Some aren't. ClawHub scans every skill and blocks those it flags as malicious, but researchers have found malicious skills that passed the scans. Install only skills you need, from publishers you can identify. Never follow a skill's instructions to paste terminal commands or install extra software.

Did Anthropic ban OpenClaw?

No. In April 2026 Anthropic stopped letting Claude subscription limits cover OpenClaw, and it briefly suspended the creator's account before restoring it. As of September 2026, Anthropic's support page says third-party app usage through its Agent SDK draws from subscription limits. None of this was a security finding.

Can OpenClaw be hacked if it's only on my home network?

Yes, in some cases. CVE-2026-25253 worked against installs that only listened on the computer itself, because the victim's own browser made the connection. Prompt injection also needs no network access at all, only content the agent reads. Keeping it updated and limiting what it can reach matter more than where it sits.

Is Hermes Agent safer than OpenClaw?

This page covers OpenClaw's record only. The same precautions apply to any agent that can run commands and use your accounts. See Hermes vs OpenClaw for how the two compare.

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